A San Diego dentist accused of performing substandard and unneeded dental work on children has apparently closed his practice.
NBC 7 Investigates first reported about the state accusation filed against Dr. Khuong Nguyen in February. Several patients complained to the state, saying he performed root canals and installed stainless steel crowns on baby teeth. At the time of our first report, he was still practicing at Clairemont Pediatric Dental.
It’s been eight years since Santee mother Christine Chavez brought her 5-year-old daughter, Paige, to see Nguyen, but Christine still gets teary when she remembers what happened.
“As a parent, you trust the dentist or the doctor, because that’s their job,” Chavez told us. “We went for a cleaning, you know, because she was 5 and just a routine checkup.”
But Nguyen told her Paige needed much more work than a simple cleaning. Chavez showed NBC 7 Investigates billing statements that show Nguyen performed four root canals and installed six stainless steel crowns and two fillings. It wasn’t easy on Paige, who still had her baby teeth.
“As soon as we got home, she was miserable,” Chavez said. “I mean, she laid right here on the floor, you know, throwing her head back and crying because it hurt.”